Means oe regulating the draet to the fire tn warming apparatus



BROWN & ELLIS.

Draft Regulator in Warming Appa rdtus.

' No. 27,687. Patented April 3, 1860',

74622149686 j'wenhro" UNITED ArFifi TENT OFFlQFi.

JOHN BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND (3. R. EIiLIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MEANS OF REGULA'IING- THE DRAFT TO THE FIRE IN WARMING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN BROWN, of the city of New York, and CHARLES R. EL- LIS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a new and useful Improvement in Means for Regulating the Draft'to the Fire in Apparatus for l Varming Buildings; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein Figure 1, is a perspective view of a hot water warming apparatus showing the general manner in which we apply the means for regulating the draft to the fire. Fig. 2, is a vertical section in larger size of the said means for regulating the draft.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

Hot water warming apparatus is generally made on something like the plan shown in Fig. 1, with a furnace F, boiler B, B, ascending circulating pipe R, to the cross pipe D, from which the ranges of circulating pipes P, P, pass the water back and forth returning it again to the boiler. A water box V is also provided in some suitable location into which the bubbles of steam pass, and any sudden ebullition finds vent; and surplus water caused by expansion is conveyed away by an overflow pipe, and any loss of water is made up by a ball and cock from a suitable head, so that the water is kept at about a uniform height and any steam is conveyed away by the pipe (1.

Difiiculties sometimes occur with hot water apparatus from a strong fire being left in the furnace when there is but little heat COD. veyed away, should the registers admitting warm air into the rooms be shut; in such a case the temperature of the water rapidly increases, and violent ebullition ensues, often to the annoyance of the occupants of the house; and in cases wherehot air furnaces are used ignition has sometimes resulted from the registers having been shut While the fire was burning strongly. To remedy this evil many experiments have been tried having in View an automatic regulation of the draft to check the fire when necessary. In this connection apparatus has been devised for regulating the draft according to the expansion and contraction of the water, but the same will not answer the purpose we desire, because in warming apparatus the draft does not require to be regulated until the boiling point of water is arrived at, whereas the expansion commences to act and regulate the fire almost as soon as the fire is kindled.

The nature of our said invention therefore consists in regulating the draft by the ebullition of water, after the temperature thereof has arrived at the boiling point. For this purpose we cause the ebullition to throw the water, or some of it, out of the water box into an adjacent draft regulator, in such a manner that the water actuates a damper or dampers to stop or partially stop the draft; and when the fire has been checked thereby, sufficiently to prevent ebullition, and the water settles down into its usual space, a peculiarly arranged siphon that has been filled by the overflowing of the water, comes into action and returns the aforesaid water to the "apparatus, and opens the draft space for the supply of air to the fire. Our said invention is also made efficient in use with hot air warming apparatus by providing a suitable vessel, within the inclosure surrounding the apparatus, which vessel is to be supplied with water to act the same as the water in a hot water apparatus; we will however describe our regu lator as applied to an apparatus for heating by water.

V is'the water box in the accompanying drawing, connected by the pipe G, to the circulating pipes and said water box being higher than the circulating pipes keeps them full, and also receives any ebullition or bubbles of steam. In Fig. 2, the water is shown at about the ordinary working height within the box V. 2, is a partition in said box of such a height as to insure that no water will pass over the same simply by the expansion due to the temperature; but should the apparatus become heated so that ebullition takes place the bubbles of steam in the apparatus and their escape into the said box V, will cause the water to be thrown over into the space 50, from which it runs by a pipe 6, into the vessel 0, located contiguous to said water box V or at the proper level at any suitable place. 3, is a deflecting plate to throw the water over the division 2, as it boils up. This vessel 6, is provided with a float 4, from which suitable slings 5 connect with the rod (Z, that passes down to the draft regulator E. This regulator may be placed in any convenient position to act properly in connection with the vessel 6, and is formed open at each end with a diaphragm 6, near the center and a pipe 9 communicating to the furnace F above the fire and the pipe H communicating to the ash pit 70.

The rod d, passes through the center of the diaphragm 6, and is provided with a conical valve, P, at the lower end 7, and a valve f setting over the upper end of the draft regulator E.

The operation is as follows, when the heat in the apparatus becomes sufficient to cause ebullition and throw the water over the division 2, the float 4, is raised and with it the rod 61, valves f and f, the valve 7 closes the mouth 7 and shuts off the supply of air below the fire through the pipe H checking said fire, and the valve f opens the communication to the pipe g which supplying cold air above the furnace cools the same and allows a. continued draft up the chimney preventing explosion from any accumulation of gases.

hen the boiler has become sufficiently cooled to prevent ebullition the siphon i, 2', comes into operation. This siphon has its short leg in the space a: and the long leg in the boX V and pipe Gand passes through a hole in the dividing plate a, or sets in a notch, so that as the water rises in consequence of ebullition it runs through the siphon before, or simultaneously with its flow over the said division a, by which means the removal of all air from said siphon is insured; and the moment the Water in the box V sinks to a lower level than in the vessel 6, and space a, the said siphon c0mmences to draw over the water, and continues so to do, as the water sinks back in the apparatus until the vessel 6, is freed from water, and the siphon sucking air, when the water is below its highest end, is freed of the water and remains inactive until another ebullition takes place.

The removal of Water from the Vesel c, by the siphon or its equivalent causes the float 4, to descend and the valve f to close and the valve f to open so as to allow the draft again to pass through the fire from the pipe H.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we obtain a complete automatic regulator of the fire that is at all times efiicient in preventing an excess of heat, and so long as the water is supplied to the apparatus, no injury can ensue either to the apparatus or to the building from the heat.

Having thus described the nature of our said invention and shown the operation of the same, we wish to be understood that we do not claim regulating the amount of draft admitted to the fire in hot Water warming apparatus, by means of the-expansion of the water acting on sliding dampers or similar devices, but- VVhat ve claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Regulating the amount of air draft ad mitted to the fire in hot water and other warming apparatus by causing the overflow of water induced by ebullition to pass into a suitable vessel and regulate the draft passing through the fire or the supply of cold air above the fire or both by the float and dampers or any suitable device as specified.

2. lVe also claim opening the draft to the fire after ebullition ceases, by the withdrawal of the water from the over-flow vessel into the warming apparatus through the siphon or its equivalent substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our signatures this fourth day of April 1859.

JOHN BROWN. CHAS. R. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS G. HAROLD, CI-IAs. H. SMITH. 

